Guidelines set for minority fairness committee

Hispanic and American Indian representatives will join with school leaders and residents to form an Academic Achievement of Minority Students Committee, according to an announcement at the Carson City School Board meeting Tuesday.

"I'm very optimistic about this being a good thing," Superintendent Mary Pierczynski said. "With No Child Left Behind, we absolutely have to focus on every ethnic group. This is going to help us do that and open up a good dialog."

Lisa Grayshield, of the Carson Indian Colony, called on school board members last month to form the committee after parents complained their children had been mistreated at Carson High School because of their race.

About 30 members of the colony attended the Sept. 9 meeting to complain. A meeting with school and law-enforcement officials with American Indian families followed.

Representatives, including a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, returned to the Sept. 23 meeting to suggest a committee be formed.

References were also made to an ongoing dispute amongst Carson High School students between Hispanics and American Indians.

Pierczynski said the committee will include three representatives from the American Indian population, three Hispanic representatives and three school officials. Two members of the community at large will also be invited to sit on the committee. These last two members will be chosen at the committee's first meeting.

Pierczynski said she and two trustees, Joanna Wilson and James Hukari, will represent the school district.

Other members will be chosen by leaders of the various communities.

The purpose of the committee will be to ensure fair treatment and equal access to education among all ethnic and racial groups. It will also deal with matters of safety on school grounds.

The first meeting is set for Nov. 5.